How to Write Choro Songs

You want to write a choro that makes people stop scrolling and start tapping their foot. Choro is equal parts wizardry and street level charm. It can be fast and flashy. It can be soft and aching. It is Brazilian music that rewards taste, small details, and grooves that sit right between the drum and your funny bone. This guide will teach you how to craft melodies, build harmonic motion, write counterpoint, arrange for a real group, and make your choro actually playable by humans who need coffee between practice runs.

Everything here explains terms so you do not have to guess. If you see an acronym or a technical word I will define it and give you a real life example. Expect practical exercises that you can use in a practice room, on a porch, or during a late night jam. This is written for millennial and Gen Z musicians who want to sound both classic and alive.

What Is Choro

Choro, sometimes called chorinho, is a Brazilian instrumental music tradition that began in the 19th century. It blends European dance music such as polka and modinha with African rhythmic feel. The word choro literally means cry or lament, but the music is often playful, virtuosic, and witty. Choro bands typically feature melody instruments such as flute or bandolim, a cavaquinho that provides compact chords and rhythmic punctuation, a guitar that supplies harmony and sometimes bass lines, and a pandeiro which is a Brazilian tambourine that keeps a sophisticated groove.

Choro is known for three musical ingredients. One, melody that moves fast and sings with ornamentation. Two, harmony that travels using circle of fifths movement and chromatic passing chords. Three, rhythm that is syncopated and elastic so it feels like a conversation between instruments. If you want a short description, choro is a tight party with very polite technical virtuosity and an ear for drama.

Core Elements of a Choro Song

Melody

Melodies in choro are memorable phrases full of movement. They often use short motifs that repeat and develop. Phrases are frequently answered by a second instrument. Ornamentation is common. That means adding grace notes, slides, small trills, and quick appoggiaturas which are little decorative notes that lead to a main note. The melody sits well over a harmonic progression that moves with direction rather than staying static.

Harmony

Choro harmony loves motion. Expect progressions that walk down or around the circle of fifths. A common move is II7 to V7 to I. When I say II7 I mean the chord built on scale degree two with a flat seventh quality meaning it functions as a dominant of V. When I say V7 that is the dominant chord with a flat seventh which usually resolves to I, the tonic chord. You will see secondary dominants, diminished passing chords, and chromatic bass lines. These harmonic devices create forward momentum and give soloists something interesting to play over.

Rhythm

Choro grooves are syncopated. That means rhythms emphasize off beats and create a slight push and pull against the steady pulse. The pandeiro keeps time with patterns that combine thumb taps, finger taps, and shakes. The cavaquinho plays a percussive pattern called cifragem or comp patterns that leave space for melody and lyrics when present. The guitar supplies harmonic punctuation and often rhythmic bass lines. The slight micro timing feel, often called swing, is crucial. It should feel natural not robotic.

Form

Traditional choro often uses multiple sections called parts or themes. A common architecture is A A B B C C A A which means you write a theme A, repeat it, write theme B, repeat it, write theme C, repeat it, and return to A repeated. Each part is usually eight measures long, though you can stretch or compress as long as the sections balance. Modulations to a different key between parts are normal and provide excitement. Think of form as a way to give listeners landmarks while letting you show off different ideas.

Instrumentation

Typical instruments are bandolim, flute, clarinet, cavaquinho, six string guitar which in Brazil is violão, seven string guitar which provides a low bass line and is called violão de sete cordas, and pandeiro. A bandolim is a Brazilian mandolin. A cavaquinho is a small four string instrument that sounds like a ukulele but is played with a strong rhythmic attack. If you do not have these exact instruments you can translate parts to guitar, ukulele, violin, saxophone, or piano. The key is to preserve the role each instrument plays rather than copying the exact timbre.

Rhythms and Groove Patterns

Good choro feels alive. Here are core rhythmic patterns and practical ways to practice them.

Pandeiro Patterns

The pandeiro is the backbone of choro rhythm even when other percussion exists. One common pandeiro pattern uses a combination of bass tone with the palm which is a deep slap, a thumb hit on the rim for backbeat punctuation, and finger taps for syncopation. Practice by counting one two three four in steady quarter notes and then place the bass hit on one, a thumb tick on the and of two, and a finger on the a of three. If you do not know what and and a mean, those are subdivisions. Count like this while clapping: one and two and three a four and. Practicing subdivisions is how you feel the tiny micro timing that distinguishes choro from plain strumming.

Real life scenario. You are busking at a subway entrance. The pandeiro player is tapping that pattern and the melody instrument trades phrases. People stop because the groove sounds like conversation. That is pandeiro doing its job.

Cavaquinho Comp Patterns

Cavaquinho comping is percussive. Use short staccato chords and leave space for melody. A typical pattern hits the chord on the downbeat and a muted percussive hit on the offbeat. Think short punch then space. Practice: play a simple C major chord in eighth note time. On beats one and three play the full chord. On the offbeats play a muted strum using the palm to create a click. This creates a rhythmic frame that is both harmonic and percussive.

Guitar and Seven String Bass Lines

The guitar in choro often alternates between chordal support and single note bass lines. The seven string guitar, when present, often plays walking bass lines that connect chords using scalar or chromatic motion. If you play standard six string guitar and there is no seven string available, consider dropping your lowest string tuning or assign the bass role to a double bass or keyboard. The walking line typically outlines the chord changes and adds chromatic passing notes to make the progression feel continuous.

Harmony and Common Progressions

Choro harmony is a playground for tension and release. Here are practical chord recipes and how to use them.

Circle of Fifths Motion

The circle of fifths is a sequence where each chord moves to the chord a perfect fifth below or a perfect fourth above. In practice, this means you can connect A minor to D7 to G major to C major and so on to create a sense of motion. A standard choro progression might move like II7 V7 I or VI7 II7 V7 I. Practicing a progression that cycles through those changes helps you feel how harmonic gravity works.

Example progression in the key of G major. Try this for an eight bar phrase.

| Am7 | D7 | Gmaj7 | Gmaj7 | Em7 | A7 | D7 | D7 |

Read this out loud like a sentence. The first pair sets up movement. The middle pair breathes. The last pair gets ready to return to a theme. Each chord can receive a melody that uses chord tones on strong beats and passing tones on weak beats.

Chromatic Passing Chords and Diminished Passing Chords

To get that classic choro color, add chromatic passing chords. These are chords that move by half step and make the bass line walk smoothly. A diminished chord works well as a chromatic connector. For example, in the key of G you might go from Gmaj7 to G#dim7 to Am7. The diminished chord is the spice. Play it soft and let it point to the target chord.

Secondary Dominants

Secondary dominants are dominants that resolve to chords other than the tonic. For example, if you want to highlight D7 which is the V of G, you might play A7 before D7. A7 functions as V of V in this context because it wants to resolve to D7. Secondary dominants create strong forward motion and give soloists a harmonic roadmap for tension and release.

Melody Writing for Choro

Melodies in choro are often built from small motifs and then developed. Here are steps to create an effective choro melody.

Start With a Motif

Pick a short rhythmic idea of two to four notes. Repeat it with slight variation. Make the motif singable. Sing it while walking to the store. If it makes you smile or nod, you are on to something. Keep the motif short so you can transform it rather than rewrite it every eight bars.

Use Call and Response

Choro thrives on conversation. After you present your motif on the bandolim or flute, answer with a contrasting phrase on the cavaquinho or guitar. This call and response gives the music a social feel. In a jam the call will be an invitation for the next musician to improvise.

Phrase Shape and Breath

Write phrases that allow logical breath points. Even if your melody is instrumental, imagine a singer and where they would breathe. This ensures the lines do not collapse under their own speed. Try making each phrase eight notes long with a clear ending and a place to pause. Tension builds when the phrase pushes toward an unresolved chord tone and then releases on the next downbeat.

Ornamentation and Articulation

Use grace notes, slides, and short trills. But do not overdecorate. Ornamentation should serve melody and emotion. A single slide into an important note can say more than a flurry of fancy notes. Record a clean version of a melody and then do a second cut with tasteful ornaments. Compare and choose which version says the song better.

Harmony to Melody Practice Routine

1. Choose a short progression of four chords. Loop it for four minutes.
2. Sing two note motifs over the loop without trying to be clever. Record everything.
3. Pick two recorded motifs you like and combine them in different orders. One becomes call and the other response.
4. Repeat the section and practice adding a small ornament on the last note of each phrase.

This simple routine will get you writing believable choro lines that sound like they belong in the tradition.

Counterpoint and Arranging

Counterpoint means writing two or more independent melodic lines that sound good together. In choro counterpoint is a signature move. The melody instrument plays the leading phrase while the cavaquinho or mandolin plays a secondary line with its own identity. The guitar or seven string can weave between harmonic support and counter melodies.

Rules of Basic Counterpoint

• Make sure each line has a clear contour. One line should not completely mirror the other.
• Avoid parallel perfect intervals such as perfect fifths and octaves moving in the same direction at the same time. These can make the texture feel stuck.
• Use contrary motion where one line ascends while the other descends. That gives a sense of movement and space.
• Keep rhythmic independence. If both lines play identical rhythms all the time the effect is not counterpoint but doubling.

Real life scenario. You write a bandolim line that jumps a small leap and lands on a long note. The cavaquinho answers with a descending sequence of chord tones while the seven string plays a walking bass under both. The result feels like a tight conversation instead of one instrument hogging the microphone.

Arranging for a Small Choro Ensemble

Here is a practical arranging map for a quartet of flute or bandolim, cavaquinho, six string guitar and pandeiro or a trio with seven string guitar instead of separate bass.

• Intro: Two bars of pandeiro and cavaquinho comp to set tempo.
• Theme A: Melody on bandolim. Cavaquinho plays staccato chords. Guitar supplies walking bass on the seven string or alternating bass on six string.
• Repeat Theme A with melodic variation and a small ornament on the final phrase.
• Theme B: Modulate up a fourth or down a minor third for contrast. Change the melody shape and let the guitar take a short countermelody behind.
• Solo section: Allow a soloist to improvise over A or B form. Keep comp patterns consistent and let the rhythm section breathe.
• Return: Bring back A with full ensemble doubling the last phrase for drama.

Make sure the arrangement gives each player a moment to shine but keeps the texture balanced. Choro is not about one soloist destroying the track. It is about clever interplay and tasteful moments of brilliance.

Writing Lyrics for Choro

Choro is primarily instrumental but there is a tradition of adding lyrics. A choro with lyrics is sometimes called choro canção. If you want to write words do this:

• Keep lyrics short and poetic with concrete images. Use a time or place crumb to ground emotion.
• Match the natural stress of the words to strong beats in the melody. This is prosody which means aligning syllable stress to musical weight.
• Let the chorus be the emotional promise or the central line that listeners can repeat.
• Use Portuguese or your primary language but respect the melody. Vocal lines need room to breathe between melodic leaps.

Real life example. You write a choro about a late night tram and a lover who never shows. The chorus could be a one line phrase that repeats like a rueful sigh. The verses describe small details such as the tram bell and the smell of rain on the seats. Those details make the song feel personal and classic at once.

Improvisation in Choro

Choro musicians improvise on the melodic theme and on harmonic changes. Improvisation in choro often uses arpeggios, short scalar runs, and rhythmic motifs that respond to the rhythm section. Here is a practical approach to soloing.

1. Learn the head. Memorize the melody and its key chord tones.
2. Practice arpeggios of each chord in the progression. Play them as scale runs and as broken chords.
3. Develop a small vocabulary of motifs such as a two note figure that you can insert in different keys.
4. Practice rhythmic displacement. Play your two note motif starting on different subdivisions to create syncopation.
5. During solos listen. Respond to the pandeiro and to small melodic cues from other players. Choro solos are conversations not monologues.

Practical Songwriting Exercises

Motif Ladder

Pick a two note motif. Write four eight bar phrases that use that motif as the seed. Change one element each time. First change rhythm. Second change register. Third change harmony under the motif. Fourth add a small ornament.

Walking Bass Sketch

Write a walking bass line for eight bars that connects two chords a perfect fifth apart. Make sure each step either steps by scale degree or uses a chromatic passing tone. Sing the bass line while clapping. If it grooves it is working.

Call and Response Drill

Write a phrase for the bandolim. Record it and then write a response for the cavaquinho that is half the length. Swap roles and do it again. This builds arranging instincts and creates natural interplay.

Recording and Demo Tips

If you plan to demo a choro piece here is a fast checklist to make it sound alive.

• Record the rhythm section first. This is usually pandeiro and cavaquinho or guitar. They set the feel.
• Record the melody next. Use clear takes with minimal reverb so the phrasing is audible.
• Record doubles for the final chorus. Two slightly different takes layered will give the melody warmth.
• Add the seven string bass line in a separate pass if you have it. Make sure it sits under the harmonic changes and does not fight the cavaquinho for space.
• Keep the mic placement close for pandeiro and a bit farther for flute to capture air and presence.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Here are mistakes I see all the time and the fixes you can do in a rehearsal or in a single practice session.

• Too much speed without clarity. Slow the tempo, play clean, then increase speed in small increments.
• Melodies that do not breathe. Add rests and imagine a singer. A well placed rest gives the phrase weight.
• Comping that fills every space. Leave space. Silence makes notes mean more.
• Overuse of ornamentation. Choose one spot for the most dramatic ornament and keep the rest tasteful.
• Not practicing transitions between parts. Rehearse the last bar of a section and the first bar of the next until the band breathes together.

Examples You Can Model

Example theme in G major with a simple progression. Play slowly first and then add tempo.

Progression for an eight bar theme.

| Gmaj7 | G#dim7 | Am7 | D7 | Em7 | A7 | D7 | D7 |

Melodic idea to sing or play. Use small slides into the target notes and end the phrase with a held tone on a chord tone such as B or D in this key.

Phrase idea: sing or hum the notes G B A G F sharp E D. Repeat but vary the rhythm and end on B held for two beats. Then answer with a rising phrase that climbs to D and resolves back to G.

This is simple. That is the point. Choro shines when a simple idea gets treated with clever harmony and tasteful ornamentation.

Where to Take Your Choro Song Next

Once you have a working demo, play it for a trusted musician who knows the style. Ask for one specific question such as does the groove feel natural or does the melody need a stronger ending. Use their feedback to refine. Then play the piece live. Choro is social music and it matures in the room with players who react in real time.

Action Plan You Can Use Today

1. Pick one small motif of two notes. Loop a four chord progression for ten minutes and sing that motif until it feels natural.
2. Write an A section eight bars long. Repeat it. Keep the melody simple and add one ornament at the end of the repeat.
3. Write a B section that modulates to a new key or uses a distinct rhythmic texture. Repeat it.
4. Create a simple counter melody for cavaquinho or guitar that complements but does not mirror the main line.
5. Arrange the parts for a quartet. Rehearse the first two repeats until the band breathes in the same place.
6. Record a demo with the rhythm section first, then melody, then subtle doubles for the final A return.

Choro Songwriting FAQ

What instruments are essential for choro

Essential instruments include a melody instrument such as bandolim or flute, cavaquinho for percussive chord comping, guitar or violão for harmony and rhythm, pandeiro for groove, and often a seven string guitar for the low bass lines. If you do not have the exact instruments you can translate roles to piano, ukulele, or electric bass. What matters is the role each instrument plays not the exact timbre.

Do choro songs need to be fast

No. Choro covers a wide range of tempos. Some choros are lively and virtuosic while others are slow and lyrical. Speed should serve the emotion and the technical abilities of the players. A slow choro can be more moving than a fast one if the phrasing and harmony are expressive.

Can choro have lyrics

Yes. Choro can be instrumental or include lyrics. A choro with lyrics is sometimes called choro canção. When you add lyrics keep them concise and use concrete images. Align stressed syllables with strong beats so the words sit naturally in the music.

What is a seven string guitar

A seven string guitar, called violão de sete cordas in Portuguese, adds a low string that allows the player to play bass lines and counterpoint simultaneously with chord comping. It often functions like a bass in choro ensembles and gives harmonic depth that a standard six string may not provide.

How do I create authentic choro harmony

Use circle of fifths motion, secondary dominants, diminished passing chords and chromatic bass movement. Practice progressions that connect chords by step or half step. Study classic choros to hear how the harmony moves and then practice writing progressions that create strong direction rather than static loops.

How should I arrange a choro for live performance

Arrange so that each instrument has a clear role. The melody instrument leads. The cavaquinho comp provides rhythmic and harmonic punctuation. The guitar supplies harmonic support and occasional counter melodies. The pandeiro keeps the groove with tasteful dynamics. Give each player small moments to improvise and rehearse transitions between sections until they are clean.

How do I practice choro ornamentation

Practice ornaments slowly with a metronome. Work on grace notes, slides, and small trills. Start by adding a single ornament at the end of a phrase. Gradually add more if the melody still breathes. Record yourself and listen for clarity. Ornamentation should enhance the melody not cover it up.